The article evaluates the concentration of oil in the atmosphere of Barnaul by an indirect method of measurements which is based on the results of fluorimetric analysis of snow cover. Snow sampling was carried out at the time of maximum snow accumulation in the first decade of March 2013–2017. The concentration of oil in the urban snow cover exceeds the concentration in the control point outside the town by a factor of 2–6, which indicates urban atmosphere pollution. Especially high concentrations of oil are detected at the points located near the intensively loaded urban highways. Analysis shows the decrease of concentration of oil in the atmosphere of Barnaul over the past five years. This is due to the transition of the CHP and to gas heating in private areas, and transition the motor vehicles to environmental fuel of the European standard. The increase in the concentration of oil in the last years is directly related to the growth in the amount of motor vehicles and points to the need to closest attention to the concentration of oil in the snow cover as an indicator of the quality of the urban environment.